Flame Guardian
by Catsrawesome
Summary: Leo knew that he was a monster. He always hurt those who he loved. His mom, his friends, Calypso... That's why he kept his distance, especially after the recent battle against Gaia. But when a mysterious girl with a strange set of powers eerily similar to his appears to take him to his new "home", he realizes that, while he may be a monster, it may not be such a bad thing.
1. Chapter 1

**HI EVERYONE! *dodges punch to the face***

 **Ok, I'm sorry! I just wanted enough people to know that I was starting over! I'm really sorry! But don't worry! It's up now!**

 **To anyone who is new here, this is a rewrite of my previous story.**

 **I worked really hard on this! I hope it's enough to make up for deleting all those chapters! Expect more to come!**

Leo really wasn't sure what was going to drive him insane first, the pain or the endless blue.

Was it really too much to ask for something that brought him back to life and _didn't_ make his head throb like the vein in Annabeth's neck after a bad pun? Honestly, that was going to be the first thing he invented once he got back to Bunker Nine. Unfortunately, he was nowhere near the familiar bunker.

At least, he didn't think he was.

There was nothing but water as far as the eye could see. Not even the tiniest sign of life. In a way, it was relieving to Leo, since he wasn't too keen on encountering any rogue sea monsters, though it also made him feel a bit lonely. He missed his friends a lot.

 _Though maybe they don't miss me..._ Leo thought sadly to himself.

It took a lot of effort to push the thought away. And eventually, it did.

If only he could get his _other_ problem to go away.

He was really beginning to question Percy's obsession with the color. Everywhere he looked, the damn color was staring him right in the eye. The sky was blue, the ocean was blue, and his mood was the cherry on top of the sundae.

The things he does for Calypso...

Most of the things he didn't really mind that much. He happened to like being alive very much (though the throbbing pain in his temple did dampen his triumph over death quite a bit), and even the stupid endless mass of water wasn't enough to make him turn back. He had gotten this far already, though he wasn't sure how much distance he had covered, nor how long he had been traveling.

 _"Time is difficult in Ogygia."_

Leo heard the angelic voice in his head as clearly as if she was riding behind him at that very moment. She had haunted his very dreams, refusing to leave him alone. Leo had always thought that the notion was very ironic, as the tables were very much turned when Leo was Calypso's temporary neighbor.

Oh, how Leo couldn't _wait_ to annoy her once again. Of course, he could always apologize by showering her with a few kisses.

Leo let out a contented sigh.

 _Creak?_

"What?" Leo said, looking down at his dragon companion in surprise, "No, I'm not daydreaming of Calypso again! What kind of person do you think I am?"

Festus looked about to let out a metallic groan when Leo suddenly put up a hand, as if to stop him.

"Don't answer that."

Festus let out a creaky laugh, making Leo blush a tomato red. If only that stupid dragon didn't know him too well.

A peaceful silence filled the air. If only to be broken two seconds later.

"WHY DOES THERE HAVE TO BE SO MUCH OF THAT STUPID PRIMARY COLOR!? _"_ Leo suddenly shouted to no one in particular. Festus gave another creak, though this one was more tired. He seriously loved the boy, but he could only handle being around him for so long.

"I'm serious, Festus. I am beginning to doubt Percy's sanity more with each passing second! How have we traveled so long without seeing _any_ land? How could we be plopped in the very middle of the Mediterranean? We have to be close to _some_ kind of land mass!"

As if answering his thoughts, he heard a faint beeping, his head whipped towards the astrolabe, where a small red dot was blinking from the center.

"It can't be..." Leo said, his voice almost a whisper, "It can't be that easy."

Though defying his own sense of logic, Leo peered over Festus's side, searching for the island among the sea of blue.

And right there, among the never-ending blue, was a faint speck of green.

"YES!" Leo shouted, his eyes wide with shock and joy and a wide grin dawning his features, "I DID IT! HAHA! IN YOUR FACE, UNBREAKABLE CURSE! I, LEO VALDEZ, HAVE BEATEN YOU! CALYPSO! I DID IT! WHO'S YOUR FLAMING MCSHNIZZLE NOW, BABY? WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Festus seemed to pick up on Leo's mood, for he let out a roar and a jet of flames from his mouth before descending into a steep dive. Leo laughed, barely resisting the urge to throw his hands up into the air.

Not even crashing into the shore could dampen his spirits.

It took a while for Festus to shake off the recoil from the impact of the landing. When he finally managed to stand, he discovered that his master was no longer on his back. In fact, he was nowhere to be seen. Festus was about to call out to him before something popped out of the sand before him.

"YEAH!" Leo didn't seem to be at all fazed by the tower of sand that currently rested on top of his head, or that he had nearly given his dragon friend a short-circuit. With some difficulty, he managed to heave himself from the soft, powder-like sand and got to his feet as well.

"CALYPSO!"

He couldn't stop the joy that was threatening to overcome him as he ran towards the center of the island.

"It's me! Leo! Your knight in shining armor has come to sweep you off your feet!"

Leo could now smell the sweet scent of the flowers Calypso grew in her garden. Words couldn't describe how much Leo missed that smell. He broke into a sprint.

Finally, he arrived at his destination. Calypso's garden was as beautiful and healthy as ever, flowers in full bloom everywhere he looked. Leo turned left and right, looking for the one flower he wanted. All the sudden, his cheery mood was diminished, and he started to frown.

Something was not right.

Seeing that Calypso was not in the garden, Leo ran towards her cave. He almost ripped apart the curtains as he entered Calypso's home. His nose frantically sniffed for the delicious smell of Calypso's delicious stew. There was no such scent. Leo ran to the deepest part of the cave, hoping for a glimpse of the goddess. There was no one in the cave.

Leo started to panic. He ran out of the cave, screaming his lover's name. He ran as fast as he could, paying no heed to the pain in his chest and legs. Leo couldn't believe that similar pain had been his main concern just a few minutes ago.

 _She must be somewhere else on the island,_ Leo tried to reassure himself, _Ogygia is a big island._

Leo ran across the perimeter of the island, Calypso's name coming out as more of a screech from his lips. His running became even more frantic than before. He took the blow of multiple whiplashes as he turned his head in all directions.

Soon, his vision became blurred from the tears that were threatening to fall. Leo had probably ran around the entire island thrice before he fell on all fours, sobbing his eyes out. Though he didn't know for sure.

 _Time is difficult in Ogygia._

The beautiful voice mocked him now more than ever. The angelic voice that he would never have the privilege to hear ever again. The voice that belonged to the girl he would never again be able to hug, to kiss, to love...

Calypso wasn't on the island. She was gone.

 **So, as you can see, I started this rewrite a bit differently than my previous attempt at this story. I hope it doesn't suck too much...**

 **So anyway, before I go, I just want to ask for a favor: To anyone who read the previous story, PLEASE don't spoil anything in reviews, so that new readers can enjoy the story! Thank you!**

 **YOU ARE AWESOME!**

 **Catsrawesome**


	2. Chapter 2

**Guess what day it is today, guys! It's Cat is an idiot day!**

 **...**

 **DON'T KILL ME!**

 **Take this chapter, not my life! I'm gonna start working again on the next chapter after I update a bunch of my other stories because I'm a horrible person!**

 **Warning: This is another sad chapter, and contains themes that might be intense for young readers, which include the mention of attempted suicide and depression. Also, if might be a good idea to have a box of tissues at the ready. You have been warned.**

 **BlazingFlames22: I guess we'll see! Finally! DON'T KILL ME!**

 **Amber Ember7: Thanks for sticking with me! I finally have a chapter for you!**

 **Heartstrings86: Leo is awesome! I'm so glad you like the story! It's one of my favorite ideas as well.**

 **Zunifex: I'm afraid it's only gonna get worse, but I'm definitely going to write some happier chapters in the future! Or maybe you were saying sad as in pathetic, in which I couldn't agree more. *sobs in corner at her patheticness***

 **Enjoy the (horribly overdue) chapter!**

 _Bang!_

The forge has always been a place of comfort for Leo. He had lived his entire life with a tool in his hand and a smile on his face.

 _Bang!_

His cheery demeanor had diminished slightly after his mother's death. The forge's happy memory had been tainted. It was a safe haven for Leo on good days, and a reminder of the monster he was on bad ones.

 _Bang!_

Ever since he came to Camp Half Blood, the forge in Bunker Nine became Leo's new home. In the days he worked on the _Argo ll,_ he had worked alongside people who understood how he felt. They too found the forge as a place where they could be themselves and enjoy doing what they did best. They were his brothers and sisters, bound by their father's foolishness and their love for creating.

 _Bang!_

For the first time since his mother's death, Leo had made new friends. Two amazing friends whom he could count on in any situation. When he was with them, Leo felt truly happy. His smiles were no longer fake, his laugh no longer forced. He was even able to look over the fact that he was a bit of a third wheel. Jason and Piper always made time for him, and for that he was more grateful than they could even hope to comprehend.

 _Bang!_

That too changed with the departure of the _Argo ll_. The presence of Annabeth during the voyage across the country was a bit unnerving, as her eyes burned with an intensity to rival his own fire. He attempted to joke around with her and make a new friend, but she remained as stoic as ever. She barely even looked at him when he tried to talk with her. The only indication she could hear him was the occasional twitch in her eyebrow, a strange habit that Leo soon learned (the hard way) was an indication of annoyance. It was only when she started clenching and unclenching her fist at a particularly offensive blonde joke that he took his cue to stay as far away from her as he could.

He knew that she didn't hate him (at least, not at that moment); she was just eager to see Percy, and worried about his condition.

A feeling he had become very acquainted to.

 _Bang!_

Of course, Leo had built a forge in the break room in the _Argo ll._ As awesome as saving the world is, it could be stressful. This time, however, he lacked the distraction his friends provided. Piper and Annabeth started hanging out more, and Jason... He was preoccupied enough as it was. He was going back to the place he had lived almost his entire life, after all. Leo could only imagine the emotions eating him up inside: excitement, fear, joy, guilt. Emotions that came with returning home.

Emotions Leo had felt once.

 _Bang!_

The forge once again became his safe haven. He had brought along with him as many tools from Bunker Nine as he could, which would normally be enough to keep a son of Hephaestus busy for several weeks. However, it became hard for him to focus on his projects. All he could think about was Camp Jupiter, and the remaining members of "The Seven".

At the time, he couldn't wait to meet them.

 _Bang!_

The attack at Camp Jupiter ruined everything.

Never had Leo felt so helpless as when his arms and legs moved seemingly of their own accord, moving the many mechanisms hidden within his prized ship. It came both as a relief and a blow to him when he later found out he was being controlled, and that the whole ordeal wasn't his fault, but it was again a reminder of how weak he was.

At his best, he was worthless. At his worst, he was destruction.

Annabeth's face after the whole ordeal haunted him even to this day.

 _Bang!_

He had looked forward to meeting Percy. He had heard many tales of the demigod and of his formidable powers over water. However, he had also heard that Percy was kind, and had a great sense of humor (though he could be pretty oblivious). He had seemed like someone whom Leo could get along with well. He had even rehearsed several jokes he could crack while in the boy's presence.

His fantasies vanished as soon as he saw the anger the demigod held for him after the attack. The jokes were likewise forgotten.

Leo's fear was not.

 _Bang!_

Hazel had been one of the people who had accepted him right away. She was kind to him, as she was to everyone she met (except monsters, who, when they met her, also met an untimely death), which was one of the many things he found attractive about her. Sure, she was pretty, but the fact that she could look at him and see _him_ was what ultimately drew him to her.

Or so he thought.

It turns out, she used to have a crush on his great grandfather, Sammy. A bit of a shocker. But Leo had seen enough to accept this piece of information with only mild shock. However, this news had also upset Leo a great deal more than he would have liked to admit. It turned out that Hazel had been friends with him this entire time with Sammy's living counterpart, not Leo Valdez.

In the end, he had gotten over it. He had gotten over her.

 _Bang!_

Frank had seemed nice enough, but Leo's crush on Hazel was enough for them to avoid each other whenever possible. His encounter with Percy had also dampened his will to make new friends. He discarded the plan that had failed since the beginning, like he would a failed project that had been stupid ever since he had first thought of it, but it's stupidity was finally coming to light only after the project had demonstrated how stupid it was. Leo often thought he brought out the stupid in his ideas.

Even after he had gotten over Hazel, Frank still didn't seem eager to become acquainted with him, as if a small part of his still didn't trust the fire user. Even after they found out Leo had been possessed when he had blown up Camp Jupiter, it was still difficult for Frank to look Leo in the eye. It was only after Leo had met Calypso that Frank decided to attempt to be friendly with the boy.

Leo had finally made another friend on that quest. It had only cost him his soul.

 _Bang!_

And then there was that cursed journey to Ogygia, on which dwelled the girl that had stolen his heart.

 _Bang!_

His encounter with the goddess had driven him to the brink of madness. Any spare moment he had, he worked on the astrolabe. His childish mission to make new friends had made way for a stronger cause. He had sworn on the River Styx, after all.

 _Bang!_

Leo could be immature and annoying at times, but he never broke a promise. Even in death (short as it was) he was busy keeping that promise. He was done what no man had done and returned to the cursed island.

But she wasn't there.

 _Bang!_

Was it his fault?

 _Bang!_

Was it something he had done?

 _Bang!_

Maybe, if he had gotten there a little sooner, he could have found her.

 _Bang!_

He had remained on the island for an hour after his horrid discovery. He had walked the island in a daze, the sea water soaking through his shoes and sand coating them in the ocean's wake. He had almost been convinced that he had returned to the place of the dead, that the cure had only been temporary and his soul was returning to the place where he belonged. Only when he had returned to the cave where Calypso had lived and caught the scent of the various herbs and flowers in her massive garden, that he was brought back to life and began to sob with renewed sorrow.

It was ten times more painful than the physician's cure.

 _Bang!_

Festus, that wonderful mechanic dragon, had been the one to awaken Leo from his stupor. He had gently coaxed the heartbroken demigod on his back, and had flown off of his own accord. He creaked soothingly, trying with all his might to comfort his friend.

Leo had tried to jump off Festus three times, and three times he was caught without a word.

 _Bang!_

He had not thought anything would have felt as bad as losing Calypso. In a way, he was correct, but what came next was pretty close.

When he had finally returned to Camp Half Blood, he had been greeted with the sight of his six traveling companions among a large group mourners around a campfire, burning a shroud with an insignia of a flame.

 _Bang!_

He had wanted to run, as he had every time he was scared or helpless. How could he have been so _selfish?_ He had tried so hard to make friends, and yet he couldn't keep up the friendships he had managed to earn. He had betrayed them.

They sure didn't act like it when they saw him standing a little ways away, plus one dragon and minus one goddess.

 _Bang!_

He had been crushed with several hugs, been slapped several times by Piper and Annabeth, and had been deafened by cheers. Even the Romans, who had learnt of the Eidolons, praised his bravery during the battle of Gaea.

He didn't hear any of it.

 _Bang!_

His days of fake smiles and forced laughs were with him once again. He did it more for the sake of his friends than for himself. They had all shared his sadness at the loss of Calypso (Percy more than anyone), but they had moved on. He hadn't.

 _Bang!_

The forge became his safe haven more than ever. He almost never came out, except when someone came and forced him to eat. He worked mindlessly at projects that had no purpose, anything to save him from the torment that was his mind.

 _Bang!_

He failed.

 _Bang!_

He always failed.

 _Bang!_

He was a failure.

 _Bang!_

And a failure he would always be.

 _CRACK!_

Leo was startled from his thoughts by a sound like a bone fracturing, followed up by a screech similar to nails on chalkboard. Leo looked down upon the piece of metal he had been hammering straight, which was now separated in two by a jagged crack that reminded Leo painfully of the Grand Canyon.

He would have given anything to be as blissfully ignorant as he was at the time.

 _BANG!_

Leo jumped, staring at the two now useless pieces of metal and the hammer in his hand, as if his wandering mind was a lure for startling noises. The banging came again, and this time he was able to pinpoint the source.

It was coming from the door.

Groaning, Leo got up from his seat and walked to greet his unexpected visitor. His unused muscles groaned in protest. He had lost track of how long he had been sitting there.

It was a small price to pay for a feeling of security.

Which was why he wanted to throttle whoever it was who had disturbed him!

The vicious knocking returned with renewed vigor, in which Leo replied with an annoyed, "I'm coming!" The knocking stopped abruptly.

When he finally made it to the door, he paused for a moment to dawn his fake smile as he would a mask. He straightened his back and held himself with a confidence what most would consider cocky. When he felt satisfied with his appearance, he opened the door and was greeted with the sight of his best friend and favorite charmspeaker.

"Hey, Beauty Queen!" Leo said with a smile.

Said "Beauty Queen" sent the boy a playful glare at the nickname, but then responded with her own smile. Piper was as beautiful as ever, with her ever-changing eyes and hair that she finally allowed Hazel to cut, so that it fell evenly a few inches below her shoulders. Her braids and feathers (today resembling the multicolored feathers of a scarlet macaw) were present as usual. She wore the orange Camp Half Blood t-shirt over a pair of jean shorts, and a necklace with a single bead on it (identical to the one Leo was wearing now) hung around her neck.

"Hey, Repair Boy," she replied with as much swagger as Leo had, to which Leo responded appropriately with the raise of an eyebrow and a hand on his hip.

"So, you came all the way to Bunker Nine to mock me? I'm not sure if I should be offended or flattered," Leo said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at the girl, who rolled her eyes. She was far used to Leo's behavior, and knew it was all in good fun, and that he wasn't actually trying to hook up with her (which was more than she could say for most guys she encountered).

"Actually, I didn't," said Piper, giggling when Leo pouted, "I came here to ask for a favor."

"Ask away, my good friend!" Leo replied, holding up his hammer and pulling off an almost perfect Superman impression. "My hammer is yours, and my heart is with the good people of this fine camp of the half bloods!"

Piper laughed, and said, "It's those damn Stolls again. They seem obsessed with destroying at least one thing a day, and today they destroyed the dining hall."

Leo seemed interested, and Piper allowed herself a small moment of triumph that Leo had completely bought into her story. She had rehearsed it all night, and her confidence had made the story all the more convincing.

"What exactly did the Stolls do to the hall?" Leo asked.

"They covered the entire place in white chocolate, saying that it was to make up for the lack of snow we've been having lately, which apparently they deem "long overdue"."

"But it's November," Leo said, confused.

Piper looked startled for a moment, before quickly regaining her cool and replying smoothly, "They probably just wanted an excuse to cover the place in chocolate. If they had come up with the idea in July, they would have most likely used the same excuse, saying July is too hot or something like that."

"That makes sense," said Leo, causing Piper to mentally sigh in relief, "but wouldn't the chocolate have frozen already? It isn't snowing, but it is cold enough for snow. It shouldn't be too hard to for you guys to scrape the chocolate off. Why do you need my help?"

Unlike Leo's previous counter, she had planned for him to ask this. "They set up fires wherever they missed with the chocolate. So much for the snow excuse, eh?" she smiled expectantly at Leo, who chuckled slightly before gesturing for her to continue. "Not only has this caused massive destruction, but the Stolls used Greek fire, so Percy can't put them out. We figured a fire user would be the best for the job."

Piper expected Leo to slightly swell with pride over the fact that he was specifically requested for, but instead he cringed when she mentioned the damage. Piper waved it off as Leo being overly tired. And he hasn't been eating since dinner yesterday. He does look thinner than she remembered-

Stop, motherly instincts! This isn't the time!

Finally, Leo sighed and said, "I can't do anything without you guys needing me, huh."

"Yeah, we really are helpless without you," Piper said with more sincerity than she had intended.

Piper realized her mistake as soon as she saw Leo frown suspiciously, and realized all too late that Leo had cracked another joke, and she was supposed to respond in kind. It took every mental muscle in her body to keep from tensing. Had she messed up?

After what felt like an eternity, Leo shook his head and smiled once again.

"Lead the way."

 **Edit: I FORGOT TO SAY YOU ARE AWESOME! I'm SO SORRY! YOU ARE ALL AWESOME! DEFINITELY MORE THAN ME AT THE MOMENT! Or, pretty much in general...**

 **HAVE A GOOD LIFE!**

 **Wait, wrong story...**

 **Stay awesome!**

 **Catsrawesome**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**

 **Hey guys...**

 **I know I've been on a SUPER long haitus. I'm really sorry about that. A lot of factors played into it, and if you want a more detailed explanation, feel free to PM me and I'll be happy to explain. But long story short, I got a terrible writers block. And it wasn't just me not knowing what to write next. I literally lost almost all motivation to write. It felt like work to write even a few words. So I took a long break that turned much longer than I intended and focused on school and other stuff.**

 **But recently, I got the sweetest message from a writer on this site named Cale04evah. Honestly, it was so touching to get such a sincere PM completely out of nowhere. I know it sounds a bit self-conceited, but this message is what pushed me to try to break my writer's block. The break certainly helped a great deal, but this message was definitely the final push. And I was surprised at how easily writing came to me. I expected it to be a lot harder.**

 **Anyways, I AM back and I'm going to try to write more often. I'll be focusing EXCLUSIVELY on this story for now, since I have the best idea of where it's going and it is probably one of my personal favorites. As for my other stories, PLEASE be patient. I'll try to get to them as soon as I can. I may even rewrite a few of them, since I'm really unhappy with a lot of them.**

 **I won't be writing as often as before. You'll probably be able to expect updates about once a month, but don't count on any consistency in my updates. I'll try my best, but I'm still getting used to writing long chapters like this.**

 **So I hope you like this chapter, and what I post in the near future.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

The two demigods stepped out into the cool, refreshing air. Leo took a few seconds to stretch his sore muscles, procuring a few satisfying cracks. It suddenly hit him how long he had been in the Bunker. Maybe he should get out more…

"Come on, Leo! That chocolate isn't going to clean itself!" Piper chirped from several feet ahead of him.

"Coming!" Leo recovered quickly and jogged to meet up with her.

"Seriously, you're like an old man," Piper smirked, slowing her pace to allow Leo to catch up with her, "Need me to fetch you a cane?"

"Oh yes, dearie, thank you kindly," Leo replied, dropping his voice to a low croak and slowing his walk to a crouched hobble, "And while you're at it, grab me my prune juice. No sugar, it messes up my metabolism. And trust me when I say you don't wanna be two licks away from me when my metabolism's messed up."

Piper laughs, and the way she smiles at Leo makes his own smile feel a bit more genuine.

"First chocolate, then prune juice," she retorts. Leo pouts.

"But _Moooooom!_ I wanna eat my prune juice _first!_ " he whines, to which Piper responds by turning to face him with her hands on her hips.

"Now son, you know how that prune juice messes with your metabolism. Eat your chocolate first so you can grow big and strong, and maybe I'll let you have a glass."

Leo snorts, his walk reverting to his usual swagger, Piper walking beside him, and they fall into a comfortable silence. If Leo were completely honest, he missed his friends. While the Bunker acted as a distraction from his depression and self-loathing, it didn't offer him any happiness. Leo remembered himself as a child, when he would run as fast as his tiny legs could carry him to the forge, eager to spend any free time he had to tinker and mess around with the many tools at his disposal, as hyper and excited as a kid in a candy store. Now… the forge didn't hold that magic anymore. It was too packed with painful memories to bring him that kind of joy. This realization caused his smile to falter a bit, something Piper didn't fail to notice. She suddenly stopped, grabbing Leo by the arm and turning him to face her.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked, her eyes filled with concern.

Leo froze, realizing his mistake. He let his guard down in front of Piper.

 _Recover recover recover recover hide hide hide hide hide_

"Sorry, Pipes," Leo said, smiling brightly in an attempt to negate any thoughts Piper had about what he was really feeling, "I'm just tired, that's all. Maybe it _is_ time I move to a retirement home."

His fake smile must have still looked slightly off, for Piper narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but if she had anything to say about it, she let it go. She offered a comforting squeeze of his shoulder before letting him go and continuing at the same pace they were traveling before. Leo sighed in relief, though he was still slightly uneasy. He had to be more careful. He didn't think he would be able to lie as easily to Jason or Annabeth.

They continued in silence like before, only this silence was much less comfortable. Piper kept glancing uneasily at Leo, as if afraid he would suddenly collapse. As much as Leo appreciated Piper caring about him, the constant glances irritated him. The last thing he wanted was pity. He didn't need it. Their time and energy were much better spent on someone or something else. He could take care of himself…

The silence was broken by a sharp note slicing through the air. The two stopped suddenly, Piper's hand resting on the handle of her trusty weapon Katoptris. Leo too instinctively took up a battle stance, one hand resting on his magic tool belt and the other outstretched at his side, ready to conjure up flames should the need arise.

"What was that?" Leo asked, looking around anxiously for the source of the sound.

"I-I don't know," Piper stuttered, her hand not moving from Katoptris, "I-it sounded a bit like… a bird?"

"That was no bird," Leo replied, "It didn't sound like one. It sounded more… artificial? Like it was someone trying to mimic a birdcall."

It took everything Piper had to keep her current expression. Honesty, when she gets back there she is going to-

"CAKAW! CAKAW!"

Leo's expression went blank, and Piper struggled against going up to the nearest tree and hitting her head against it. At least the first attempt was slightly convincing!

"What is that?" Leo said, looking bemused, "Is… is that a camper?"

"Um…" Piper struggled for a response. "Maybe? Or maybe it's a monster?"

Leo looked at her in disbelief.

"What kind of monster sounds like that!?" he asks incredulously, "They must be braindead if they think that's going to convince any victims to go near them. Do you think they're trying to mimic a bird, or are they mimicking a camper mimicking a bird?"

"No idea," Piper said, allowing herself to relax slightly. Leo hasn't completely bought into the story, but she's convinced him enough for her plan to work. "I'll go check it out."

"I'll come with you," Leo offered, relaxing from his battle stance and retrieving a hammer that hung from the side of his belt.

"NO!" Piper screeched, causing Leo to jump and the birds resting in the trees above them to burst into flight. Leo gave her a bewildered look.

"U-um…" Piper started under Leo's gaze, but recovered quickly. "I-I mean, you wait here! I can handle it. Obviously this monster is pretty stupid. I'm sure I can handle him on my own."

"You sure?" Leo asks uncertainly, his hand still gripping his hammer, "He may be stupid, but we don't know how big or strong he is. It's probably safer for me to go with you."

 _Okay, I can't logic my way out of this,_ Piper thought at she stared Leo down, _I have to take a different approach._

Piper adopted a smug expression and crossed her arms, and her sudden change in stature was so sudden it caught Leo by surprise. _Perfect._

"Aw, you're so eager to play the hero. How sweet." Piper accentuates this by patting Leo on the cheek in a gentle mannered way, like a mother would a small child, "But I can handle this on my own. Wait here, I'll only be a moment."

She doesn't even wait for his response before running towards where they last heard the noise, praying that Leo didn't see how panicked her escape was.

It took Leo an embarrassingly long time to comprehend what just happened.

"…Well, okay then," Leo shrugged, plopping himself on the forest ground and leaning against a tree trunk. He pulls out a few parts from his belt and begins to tinker, a smirk making its way on his face. Honestly, he loved how much Piper tried, and she could be a pretty convincing actor. But she would have to try a little harder than that.

He just hoped that whatever surprise Piper had for him was worth the hassle.

It's been ten minutes already, and as Leo suspected, there were no telltale signs of a fight. But Leo was not a patient person.

"Piper?" he shouted into the forest. There was no response.

"Seriously, Pipes, I don't appreciate being left here. If you've got some big surprise for me, can you just get on with it?"

No response.

"Here, I'll even pretend to be surprised!" Leo offered, rising from his spot on the ground and placing his half-baked contraption back into his belt, "I'm a pretty decent actor. I mean, unlike the idiot who was pretending to be a monster. Or a bird. I really have no idea what he was going for."

Still no response. Leo frowned. Surely it wouldn't have taken _this_ long for Piper to prepare whatever surprise she had waiting for him…

"Okay, Piper, you're seriously starting to worry me here," he called out, "Can you at least respond so I know you're alive?"

He was greeted only by silence.

 _What if it_ was _a monster?_ Leo's thoughts suddenly interrupted, _What if she's in trouble?_

Leo started walking in the direction Piper took off.

 _You should have gone after her,_ Leo scolded himself, _She could be in danger with no one to help her. What if she's seriously hurt?_

 _What if she's dead?_

Leo hastened his pace to a jog.

 _Idiot! Did you seriously think that she had some kind of surprise waiting for you? How self-conceited could you get!? Don't you care about your friends?_

Leo was running now.

 _She could be dying right now! She could have been ambushed with no one to help her. You're the only one who knows she's in this forest. You're the only one who could help her._

 _But you didn't._

 _Useless._

"Shut up…" Leo muttered to himself, forcing himself to run faster.

 _You can't save her. She's dead. It's too late._

 _It's too late…_

 _Too late…_

 _Too late…_

 _…_

 _You killed her._

"Stop…" Leo growled, struggling to catch his breath as he ran even faster.

 _Just like you kill everyone you love._

"Stop it!" Leo whimpered. His lungs burned.

 _You MONSTER._

"GAAAAH!"

Leo broke through the trees, and for a moment he was blinded by the bright sunlight. He rested his hands on his knees, struggling to breathe and keep his composure. When his eyes finally got used to the light. He looked up.

"SURPRISE!"

Leo fell backwards, nearly hitting his head on a rock. He groaned, the sound lost among the laughter and cheers coming from the dining hall. Because _of course_ he was at the dining hall, and unlike Piper's initial claim, the only thing decorating it were streamers and balloons, along with a banner hanging above the entire scene with the words _HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEO!_ painted on it in bright colors. Hazel's doing, most likely. Leo stared at the banner blankly, and a few of the kids from the Apollo cabin wondered if he _had_ hit his head.

He had completely forgotten his birthday.

 _Had I really been in the Bunker for that long?_

He wasn't given another chance to fully comprehend what was happening, for he was suddenly lifted to his feet by two strong hands, and Leo looked up to find his shapeshifting friend grinning down at him.

"Gotcha, didn't we?" Frank said, smiling.

"Y-yeah, I mean… wow!" Leo kept looking around at the rowdy campers, occasionally gazing back at the banner as if the words donning it would change to sport a message that made more sense to him.

"Please don't tell me you forgot your birthday," another voice said, and Leo turned to find Annabeth raising an eyebrow. Leo shrugged, sheepish, and Annabeth sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Figures that the only person who didn't know it was your birthday was you," Annabeth said, walking up to Leo and taking a place next to Frank.

"H-how did you guys even know?" Leo asked, gaze switching between his two friends, "I didn't think _anyone_ knew."

"You wound me, Repair Boy."

Leo turned and found his two best friends, Piper and Jason (the former donning a smug grin), walking to meet them.

"Piper? You told everyone?"

"Of course!" she exclaimed, as if the prospect of not doing so never occurred to her, "It's a special day! We had to celebrate somehow."

"You really didn't have to…" Leo muttered, the situation driving him out of character and leaving him stunned.

"Of course we did!" an additional voice piped in, Leo turned (he would look back at this moment in a few hours, his neck throbbing, and wonder why everyone had to approach him from completely different directions except to add dramatic effect) to find Hazel and Percy jogging to meet them.

"We all care about you, and we're so glad that you were born," Hazel continued, "Why wouldn't we celebrate a day like this?"

"And besides," Percy added, "It's an excuse to throw a party. Why would we pass that up?"

Leo couldn't speak.

 _Don't cry don't cry don't cry_

He was sure that he resembled a shriveled tomato with how scrunched up his face was in an effort not to tear up, but he didn't care. Just when he was thinking that they would be better off without him…

 _They're glad you were born. They care._

"G-guys…"

 _Hold it in. Not in front of all these people…_

 _"_ Piper, Jason…"

Piper and Jason stood with their arms wrapped around each other, looking immensely pleased with the work they'd done.

"Annabeth, Frank, Hazel…"

Frank gave him a thumbs up that would have looked incredibly awkward if anyone else had done it, and Annabeth smiled at him in a way that seemed unusually timid for her. Hazel beamed so brightly Leo considered summoning some sun glasses from his belt.

 _Don't cry…_

"Percy…"

Finally, he mustered the courage to look up, and the smiles his friends were wearing vanished. His face was still scrunched up in an effort to prevent tears from falling, which worked… partially. His eyes were as large as dinner plates, glistening from the water Leo mentally forced to stay in place. His body shook from the effort of containing his emotions, looking about to break down like an old, collapsing building. The sudden mood change coming from the group caught the attention of the rest of the campers, and they all went silent as they stared at the son of Hephaestus, wondering if they should do something.

"P-Percy…"

Said demigod looked at Leo with a mixture of concern and confusion, and a few of the other onlookers glanced at Percy as if he held the answer to this entire predicament.

"Y-you… You…"

Everyone waited with bated breaths as Leo finally gathered enough composure to form comprehensible words. He looked up at his friends, face resembling a raisin, snot dripping from is nose, but wearing the sincerest smile he has worn in months.

"You really need to work on your bird calls."

The entire hall was left dumbstruck. And then the spell was broken by Annabeth erupting in laughter, the rest of the camp quickly following suit and Percy sputtering indignantly.

"Hey! It wasn't that bad!"

"S-seriously!" Leo wheezed through bursts of giggles, wiping his face on his sleeve, "Were you even trying? Even Jason's impression was somewhat believable!"

"Wait, hold on," Jason interrupted, "What do you mean by "somewhat believable"?"

"Exactly what it sounds like," Leo retorted, causing the others to double over from another wave of laughter.

"You are so mean!" Percy whined, "And after everything we did for you! Maybe we should just call the party off, since you obviously are totally ungrateful towards your friends, who toiled for hours on end to prepare this for you!"

"Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration," Annabeth said between giggles.

"Okay, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Leo said, hands raised in surrender, "Please forgive my ignorant blubbering. I certainly have been neglectful towards the horrible torment you have overgone for my sake. I am indeed not worthy."

"Have you considered writing poetry?" Frank suggested, looking half sincere.

"How do you know I haven't been writing poetry?" Leo responded with a grin, leaving Frank temporarily stunned, before responding with his own smile.

"You've got to show me some time," Frank said, "I promise I won't laugh."

"…You know I was joking, right?" Leo asked, looking at Frank in amusement.

"Um, y-yes! Of course!" Frank stuttered, before turning away, looking troubled.

"CAKE! HERE COMES THE CAKE! CAKE COMING THROUGH!"

Leo and the others turn towards the new voice, and Leo can't help but gasp at the culinary wonder that was being carried towards him. Towering several feet above the demigods and smothered with icing, the cake was gently lowered in front of the shocked demigod. The two cake bearers sighed at being relieved from the heavy burden before turning towards Leo.

"Happy birthday, Leo!" Will exclaimed, eagerly embracing the shorter boy, "I hope you like the cake!"

"Yeah, did you know that Will likes to bake?" the younger demigod, Nico, said, to which Leo responded with a shake of his head, "By now, I wouldn't be surprised if he crocheted as a hobby."

Will turned on Nico, smirking at his boyfriend.

"I wouldn't be one to talk, Mr. Mythomagic."

Nico, taken aback, scoffed and looked away, face red. Will laughed at his response and kissed him on the cheek, causing Nico's face to turn an even darker shade of maroon.

"It's time to cut the cake!" Hazel piped up, turning to Leo expectantly.

"Finally!" Percy exclaimed, and Leo could have sworn that a thin trail of drool was making its way down Percy's jaw, "I've been forced to smell this thing for hours. It's about time I actually had a slice!"

"And just for that, you're getting a slice last," Annabeth teased, receiving a look of betrayal from Percy.

After a few minutes of delay (Clarisse, with the best intentions, had handed Leo a knife to cut the cake with, though it was obvious from the multiple stains coating it that the knife had already been used to cut other things. A replacement was eventually found, and Clarisse was persuaded into not using the knife for its original intended purpose), Leo stood in front of his cake, ready to cut in. He hesitated, and then turned to the other campers. His friends. His family.

"Everyone, I…" He stumbled over his words, trying to figure out what to say, how to convey what he was feeling now.

"I know that I can be… annoying, sometimes. And that I cause more trouble than I'm worth. But… this really means a lot to me. These past few months… They have been really hard on me."

His friends looked at him solemnly, and Leo considered dismissing what he said, but instead chose to continue with his speech.

"But… you guys have all really helped me. I'm not sure if I'll ever be as okay as I was before… but I'm definitely on my way, because of you guys. So, thank you. Really."

Finally, he sighed, and raised his knife, grinning wickedly.

"Now let's cut into this bad boy, huh!?"

The campers roared in approval, and Leo finally turned towards his cake. He examined it thoroughly, searching for a good angle to cut into, and then took his knife and sliced into the cake.

As soon as his knife sunk the cake, a piercing cry ripped through the air.

The hall went silent, and a few demigods (including Leo) looked towards the cake, as if the noise had been ripped from its nonexistent throat. The wiser members of the group, however, turned towards the sky.

"There!"

All eyes were drawn towards Katie Gardener, who was pointing towards somewhere among the clouds. Sure enough, a tiny pinprick was just visible in the sea of blue. A few demigods drew their weapons.

"Guys, calm down!" Annabeth shouted, grabbing Percy's arm, which held the newly summoned Riptide. "It's just a bird! There's no need to go into fight or flight mode!"

"We don't know that!" Clarisse countered, followed by murmurs of agreement from the rest of the Ares cabin, along with many of the other campers, "It's too far away to tell. It could be a dragon for all we know!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Annabeth scolded, "Unlike Percy, I can clearly tell what a bird is supposed to sound like-" An outraged cry came from a certain son of Poseidon. "-and that's definitely a bird. Also, if it _were_ something dangerous, the first thing that would provoke it to attack is any sign of danger, and I'm pretty sure that thirty armed demigods fall under that category."

At this, most of the group lowered their weapons, looking disappointed.

"I'm not saying that it's not a threat. I'm saying that we should look at this rationally before we do anything stupid. For example, we shouldn't attack until we are sure that it is going to attack us."

"Um, what would qualify as us knowing for sure that it's going to attack us?" Percy asked, his eyes glued towards the sky.

"Well, maybe it would be heading straight towards us, instead of leisurely gliding overhead," Annabeth said matter-of-factly.

"Oh, so like that?" Percy said, pointing towards the sky, his gaze remaining upward. Annabeth and the other demigods looked up.

The bird (for it was now close enough to determine its general appearance, and it was, in fact, a bird) now had its wings locked, diving at a steep pace towards the ground.

And it certainly was making a beeline for the camp.

"Oh," Annabeth said quietly, reaching for her sword, "Okay, maybe we _should_ be worried."

"You _think_!?" Clarisse shouted, lifting her sword in preparation for the encounter. The other demigods also raised their weapons, some moving to stand guard in front of the cake (because priorities). The bird let out another shriek, this one much louder than the previous.

"Um, is it me, or does it seem like the bird moving much faster than should be considered normal?" Hazel said, her eyes focused in a manner Leo recognized as her preparing to manipulate the Mist.

"You're right," Jason confirmed, "and the wind currents are behaving… strangely."

"What do you mean?" Piper asked, dual-wielding Katoptris and her trusty Cornucopia.

"Well, I don't know exactly how to explain it, but I can feel a kind of… pressure, when certain things, like birds, are flying near me. Kind of like an invisible weight. If the object is small, then it feels really light, but if it's really big, then it feels really heavy."

"Okay, that kinda makes sense," Piper said, though her expression indicated otherwise, "So what makes this wind pressure feel weird?"

Jason looked uneasy.

"Well, to be completely honest, I've only felt wind pressure like this once before."

He looked at the rest of the group as if he was about to deliver terrible news.

"It was when Leo, Piper, and I were flying on Festus."

One by one, the other demigods' eyes widened, and they tightened the grip on their weapons.

"So, what you're saying is…" Percy said, eyeing the approaching creature warily.

"That thing is at least as big as a dragon," Jason finished.

The bird let out a third screech, and this one was so loud that a few of the demigods dropped their weapons and clawed at their ears in an attempt to block out the unearthly sound.

"What do we do?" Hazel asked.

"We have no choice but to fight," Percy answered, his face losing all traces of fear and adopting a stern determination that reminded Leo with a start that Percy was a skilled warrior, despite how he acts otherwise. The others silently agree and hold their weapons at the ready. Leo clenches his hammer and prepares to summon his fire.

A fourth screech, and before the demigods know it, the beast is upon them.

Jason's prediction couldn't have been more on the nose. The bird was almost the exact same size as Festus, though Leo definitely would have taken on his friend in a fight in place of this creature. Despite its size, the bird appeared to be a normal bald eagle, adorning white and brown feathers and a yellow beak. However, there seemed to be a dangerous air around the eagle. Its beak and talons looked horrifyingly sharp, able to cut through flesh with ease. Its wings were long and powerful, as if it could summon a tornado with only a few powerful thrusts. And its eyes… they seemed way too intelligent for a mere animal.

Screams ripped out from the demigods as the abomination soared feet above them, passing overhead before circling back. It appeared to be searching for a place to land, and sure enough, its eyes landed on one of the picnic tables. The bird stretched out its sharp talons, rapidly flapping its wings to further slow its descent. It latched onto the table, and under the combined pressure of both the creature's weight and the force of its grip, the table snapped easily. Leo felt a wave a sympathy towards the picnic table; they really do have it rough.

Indifferent towards the damage it had wrought in the ten seconds since it arrived, the eagle lowered its wings as it settled down onto the ground, letting out a final cry that seemed almost triumphant, as if it were proud of itself for successfully landing. Then, once it had finished with its victory screech, it turned towards the armed demigods. No one moved as the bird scanned the crowd, as if its beady eyes were stiffening their muscles and gluing their feet to the ground. Leo too stood frozen, arm still outstretched at his side, ready to attack at a moment's notice (though he wasn't sure he would be able to act under the eagle's powerful gaze). The bird's eyes passed over the Seven, before whiplashing back, its eyes tearing into Leo like one would a delicious meal. Leo swore his heart stopped beating.

And then the bird burst into flames.

There were cries of alarm from the demigods, and many seemed to be broken out of the spell the bird left them in. The fire surrounding the bird licked playfully before the group, nearly burning the few unlucky enough to be closest to the beast. The sad remains of the picnic table were consumed by the flames, reduced to ash within seconds. The bird, on the other hand, seemed completely unharmed. Its feathers didn't singe, and the bird didn't seem to be in any kind of pain. Then, the bird suddenly disappeared, as if it had been consumed entirely by the flames with the picnic table. Before the demigods could even begin to question this sudden disappearance, the pillar of fire began to shrink. A few of the kids turned towards Leo, wondering if he was subduing the fire, but he was just as confused as the rest of them.

 _What is happening?_

The flames kept shrinking, and soon rose only a few feet higher than the tallest demigod in the camp, and then even shorter than that. Finally, the flames stopped shrinking, though the change didn't stop there. The flames began to morph, forming a humanoid shape. Flames curled to become arms, legs, a head full of hair, and suddenly a being made entirely of flames stood in front of the demigods.

The being raised its arms, and the flames were diminished.

In the fire's place stood a girl. She had skin the color of coffee with a heavy dose of cream, maniac brown eyes that still held a hint of beast within them, and wild brown hair that curled its way down her back and stopped a few inches below her shoulders. She wore ripped black leggings that clung to her legs and a baby blue tank top that exposed her thin, but lean figure. Her feet were left completely bare.

Her eyes remained on Leo, and he found that he couldn't stop staring at her as well. Now that she had adopted a human form, her eyes were beginning to soften and regain some form of humanity. They seemed to glow, as if reflecting some unseen light. Then, the light began to ripple.

 _Wait… was she crying?_

She wasn't crying… at least not yet, but she seemed very close. Her lip trembled, and it seemed to take all of her strength to continue standing. Despite everything, Leo was extremely tempted to try and comfort her, like some hidden instinct Leo didn't know he possessed was suddenly opening its eyes and yawning to greet the new day.

"I found you."

If Leo's eyes could have gone any wider, they would have.

"You're here," the girl continued, and suddenly she smiled, looking like the happiest person alive despite her previous near-breakdown, "You're really here!"

She whooped, leaping into the air and spinning around like a child on Christmas, and the demigods were once again dumbfounded. After about a minute of dancing on the remains of the recently deceased picnic table, she stopped and turned once again to Leo.

"Leo…"

Leo didn't think he had any more room to be more shocked over the fact that this stranger knew his name.

"It's time to go home."

Okay, Leo definitely had room to be more shocked.

As suddenly as it happened before, the girl burst into flames, though this time she reverted to her previous form within seconds. No one had time to react before she raised her wings and lifted herself off the ground.

And Leo certainly had no time to react before the creature lunged towards him, and he was whisked into the air.

* * *

 **Thanks again to everyone who reviewed, and if you've stuck with this story after so long, you have no idea how grateful I am, and again, I apologize for the hell I put you through. I'll try to be better in the future.**

 **YOU ARE AWESOME!**

 **Cat :3**


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